Apparatus for washing sugar and the like



May 15, 19278. I 1,669,927

c. L. CARLSON IABBARATUS FOR WASHING SUGAR AND THE LIKE Filed July 20. 1922 INVENTOE F ewssrsk L. CARLSON.

BY I ml- @4 v z ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 15, 1928.

1,669,927 PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER L. CARLSON, OF CROCKETT, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR WASHING SUGAR AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 20, 1922. Serial 110. 576,394.

This invention relates to sugar manufacturing and refining apparatus, and particularly pertains to means for washing sugar,

At the present time it is common practl e in sugar refineries to place a quantity of raw or prepared sugar in centrifugal machines and to wash the sugar crystals with water while the machine is in operation. It is well known that a uniform treatment of the sugar must be carried out in order to insure that the final sugar crystals will be of uniform yield and grade, and as the washing operations at the present time are merely carried on as determined by the personal judgment of the operators, the aforesaid results cannot be constantly obtained. It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide efficient means operating in conjunction with the centrifugal machine by which the sugar will be washed for a certain predetermined period of time and at a predetermined interval in the operation of the centrifugal machine, said action being carried on automatically and 'withoutcontrol of the operator.

The present invention contemplates the use of a centrifugal machine having the usual basket, within which sugar or other material is placed, and against the walls of which basket water is sprayed, the apparatus further embodying automatic means set in motion by the control device of the centrifugal or other machine, whereby the supply of water to the spray nozzle will be automatically controlled.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view indicating the electric wiring and its application to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view partially in diagram, indicating the construction of one of the timing switches showing the normal inoperative positions of the parts in full lines and the initial operative positions thereof in dotted lines.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates an outer housing or curb of a centrifugal sugar washer. Within said housing is disposed a cylindrical foraminous basket 11 having a removable bottom plate 12. The basket is carried by a vertical shaft 13 extending upwardly therefrom, the shaft being connected in the present instance with a vertically disposed driving motor 14. It

is to be understood, however, that the shaft 13 may be driven by any other suitable means, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Overhanging the curb is a water supply pipe 15, at the end of which a spray nozzle 16 is disposed. This nozzle is supported by the pipe in a manner to permit spray from the nozzle to be projected into the basket and against the wall thereof, or in fact, against the granular material which has been thrown against the wall by centrifugal action. A supply of water for the nozzle is controlled by a valve 17 having operating means 18. At the present time it is common practice to manually control this valve at the will of the operator, and due to the lack of uniformity in operation, the present invention has been provided. This is desirable for the reason that in sugar manufacturing the sugar crystals are delivered to the centrifugals with a large percentage of associated molasses, and it is desired to free the crystals from the molasses and other foreign material, at the same time preventing the crystals from being wasted away by washing. This can be most advantageously brought about by an automatic actuation of the washing nozzle in synchronism with the operation of the centrifugal. As here shown, the valve is therefore electrically actuated through means initially operated by the driving control of the centrifugal basket, thereafter automatically carried out by primary and secondary relay switches 19 and 20. The primary switch is set in motion by an electric make and break switch 21. The movable contact member of this switch is carried by the operating lever 21' by which the delivery of electric current to the motor 14 is controlled. This lever does not directly close the switch of the motor, but actuates an electromagnet 22 by which the switch is closed. The switch members, as indicated collec tively at 23, are intended to complete circuits from conductors 24, 25 and 26 to feed wires leading to the motor 14. The wires 28 and 29 are utilized in the circuit completed by the switch 21. The primary and secondary timing switches are in series with the power line so that'the closing of the line switches 23 will cause a synchronous operation of the switches to be brought about. The circuit of the primary timing switch 19 comprises a conductor 30 connecting with one of the poles of a power switch blade 23. This con- The current then passes through the winding of the magnet through a conductor 32. This conductor carries a current to the element of a small motor indicated at 33. A return circuit is made along conductor 34 to wire 35 andfrom thence to the pole of the motor feed line wire 25. The electromagnet 31 acts upon a flexible lever 36 which is centrally pivoted at 37.. One end of this lever is normally held against upward swinging movement by a bell crank 38 while the opposite end of the lever will swing downwardly as the lever flexes as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This end of the lever carries a contact member 39 engaging-a contact 40 and tending to establish an electric circuit from conductor 41 through the blade 36 and thence to a wire 42 leading to the secondary switch.

Wire 42 is fitted with a contact member 43- normally out of engagement with the blade 36 but being engaged thereby whenthe bell crank 38 is swung to a non-obstructing position, at which time the flexed portion of the lever 36 will swing upwardly and will make a contact to complete the circuit through wire 42, the electromagnet 44 of the secondary timing switch, and thence along the conductor 45 to the field of motor 46. The opposite side of this field is connected with a return wire 48 which in turn connects with the wire 35. Swinging movement of the bell crank 38 is brought about by a timing mechanism,-initially controlled by the electromagnet 31. The switch blade 36 which is acted upon by the magnet carries a swinging gear 49 adapted to be moved toward and away from a gear 50 as the blade 36 swings from its pivot 37. A worm 51 is in constant driving engagement with suitable gearing which imparts rotation to the gear 50.

' Thus, if the magnet tends to swing the blade 36 in the direction of the arrow a-, as indicated at Fig. 2, the gear 49 will be caused to engage the gear 50 and will be driven thereby as the motor 33 rotates the gear 51. The gear 49 carries a trip pin 52 which will engage the horizontal arm of the bell crank 38 at a point in its travel. This willcause the bell crank 38 to swing in the direction of the arrow -b-, and relieve the flexed end of the lever 36.

The construction of the second timing gear is the same. In this instance, however, a relief of the retarded end of lever 36' will break a circuit through the blade of the lever from a wire 53 connected with a power lead line 54.- The opposite lead wire 55 connects with the winding of a solenoid coil 56 by which the valve 17 is operated. The circuit is completed through a wire 57 leading to a contactor 58.

In operation of the present invention of the basket 11. The control lever 21' may then be swung to close the circuit through conductors 28 and 29 to a switch actuating magnet 22. This will close the switches 23 so that current may flow from conductors 24,

25 and 26 to the motor 14. With this circuit completed, the primary timing circuit will be established from conductor 30 through the magnet 31 and thence along conductor 32 through the driving element of the timing motor 33 to lead wire 25'. The energization of the magnet 31 will swing the flexible lever 36 in the direction of the arrow a-, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, simultaneously making contact between members 39 and 40 and throwing the gear 49 into mesh with the gear 50. These gears are being driven by the motor to move the trip pin 52 into engagement with the bell crank lever 38. When the pin 52 strikes the bell crank lever it will swing the lever outwardly in the direction of the arrow b, releasing the flexed end of the lever 36 and permitting contact to be made with the member 43. The secondary timing circuit will thus be established along conductor 42 through electromagnet 44 to conductor 45, thence through the driving element of the induction motor 46 and thereafter returning along wires 48 and 35. This action tends to swing theelever 36' in the direction of the arrow -cas indicated in Fig. 1. Attention is directed to the fact, however, that one end of the lever'is normally in engagement with contact 58 and will remain so as longas the bell crank 38 of the secondary switch holds it. The opposite end of the lever 36 will, however, be swung downwardly by the action of the magnet 44 to complete a circuit from the power lead wire 54 through wire 53, the lever 36, contacts 58, thence along conductor 57 to the coil of the solenoid magnet 56, thereafter completing the circuit to the lead wire 55. This action will energize the magnet 56, opening the valve 17 and permitting a liquid to be delivered through pipe 15 to the spray'16.

This spraying operation is continued until the pin 52 of gear49' in the secondary timing switch encounters the lever 38 of this switch, at which time the circuit will be broken by the upward swinging movement of'the end of the lever arm normally in contact with the member 58. This will interrupt the circuit through the valve solenoid 56 and will permit the spring ofthe valve to close it. The spraying pperation will thus be discontinued, irrespective of any further operation of the centrifugal.

It will thus be seen that by properly adjusting the two timing switches it will be possible to'cause a spraying operation to take place at any time after the centrifugal has been set in motion, and to continue for any period of time after the spraying operation has been started. This will insure that the washing of the sugar, or any other material which might be treated, will not be started until the desired centrifugal action is being obtained, and that the washing operation will only continue for a length of time suiticient to wash the syrup, molasses and other material from the grains of sugar, and without materially dissolving the sugar crystals themselves.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a centrifugal sugar washer machine, the combination of a rotary container, means for rotating the same, a. fluid spraying means cooperating with the container, means for controlling the rotation of the container, an electrically operated timing device controlled by the last mentioned means and adapted to automatically start the flow of fluid after a predetermined rotation of the container, and a second timing device coordinating with the first timing device and adapted to stop the flow thereof after a further predetermined rotation of the container.

2. In a centrifugal sugar washing machine, the combination of a rotary container, means for rotating the same. a fluid spraying means cooperating with the container, an electric motonfor rotating the container, a valve for controlling the flow of washing fluid to the nozzle, an electrically operated timing device adapted to automatically open the valve after a predetermined rotation of the container, switch means for closing the motor and timing device circuits in timed relation to each other, and a second timing device controlled by the first timin device and adapted to automatically close t e valve after a further predetermined rotation of the container.

3. In a centrifugal sugar washing machine. the combination of a housing with a foraminous basket therein, an electric motor for rotating the basket, a; spraying nozzle for directing awashing spray against the inner wall of the basket, a valve for controlling the flow of water to the nozzle, electrically operated means for respectively opening and closing the valve after predetermined rotations of the basket, and switch means for controlling the electric circuits to the motor and timing devices in timed relation.

4. In a centrifugal sugar washin ma.- chine, the combination of a rotary basket having foraminous side walls and a removable bottom; a motor by which said basket may be rotated to produce centrifugal action therein; a spray nozzle extending downwardly through the open mouth of the basket and adapted to project a spray of water against granular material held a ainst the side walls of the basket by centrifugal action; a valve by which a spray of water to the nozzle may be established and discontinued; electric means for opening and maintaining said valve in its open condition for a predetermined period of time and an electric means in series with the control of the motor for operating said electric valve actuating means a predetermined period of time after the motor circuit is closed.

CHESTER L. CARLSOK 

